If you’re planning a long camping trip, rafting expedition or tailgating event, you will require a heavy-duty cooler that can keep food and beverages cold for days on end. These top of the line units excel when it comes to insulation, durability and other features.

Rotomolded coolers like the Yeti Roadie 60 are highly durable and easily navigate rough terrain, featuring an integrated handle to make carrying and transport easier.

Hard Sided

Hard-sided coolers, typically composed of rotomolded plastic, tend to be more durable and better insulated than their soft-sided counterparts, making them the superior choice for longer trips such as car camping or beach vacations. Their thick walls also ensure your food and beverages will stay cold for at least 24 hours of storage!

An RTIC Ultra-Light hard cooler is an excellent choice for long weekend trips, road trips and tailgating events. Not only is it lighter than most comparable hard coolers in its size range but its insulation keeps its temperature constant when fully loaded – plus there are two sets of handles for two-person carrying!

Soft-sided coolers make an excellent choice for shorter excursions, being much easier to transport than their hard counterparts – ideal for activities like hiking or lake excursions. Furthermore, these lightweight models fold down compactly for storage when not in use.

Bear Resistant

When camping in black bear or grizzly bear territory, a cooler certified as bear resistant will be essential. These coolers have been tested by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee with actual bears at West Yellowstone’s Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center to ensure your survival in such environments.

To be certified as bear-resistant, a cooler must pass a live test with a grizzly bear and meet specific technical criteria. But no container is truly bear proof: bears are smart, adaptive creatures who can open even IGBC-approved locks within 10 minutes!

Yeti and Orca produce injection-molded coolers which are often advertised as bear-proof due to having two distinct shells fused together with insulated foam insulation. Unfortunately, such coolers do not meet IGBC-rated lock specifications because their bolts must meet specific dimensions for optimal use with IGBC locks.

Insulated

No matter where your camping adventures take you, having a quality cooler is essential for keeping food cold and fresh for days on end. A low-grade cooler could leave it sitting in a pool of warm lukewarm puddle, while investing in something heavy duty will ensure its contents remain cold and fresh throughout your adventure.

Look for a cooler with either hard or soft shells that contain insulation – different forms can work differently to reduce heat transfer and keep food cold, but closed-cell foam usually offers the best performance.

Key considerations when purchasing a cooler include weight and portability. While roto-molded models tend to be heavier than their non-roto counterparts, certain brands do offer options which make carrying them easier – like the wheeled Roadie by YETI with its adjustable height handle!

Portable

The best portable coolers are lightweight and compact. Many feature injection-molded plastic shells with some form of insulation. Although they may not offer as much performance than their rotomolded counterparts, portable coolers make great companions on day trips or short overnight camping excursions.

If you plan to use your cooler for extended journeys, select one with a heavier-duty interior to keep food cold for as long as possible. Also look for one with an easy-open and close lid and consider getting one with a padded handle to make carrying it more comfortable.

Check for features like a built-in ruler, tie-down slots, bottle openers and extra features like deep dry bins or dividers to help store items upright so they won’t get squishy or spill. For additional accessories consider RovR RollR attachments or an Engel 19 Drybox that allow for wheels on either end to easily transport it around, add dry storage bins or attach ropes so that it can be pulled behind a boat.